BNP plans on tougher anti-govt movement

The BNP is planning to launch a series of political programmes at the end of May or the beginning of June to reinforce its ongoing movement against the government.

The opposition party, along with other like-minded ones, have been waging a simultaneous movement to press home a series of demands, which includes the current government's resignation, dissolution of the parliament, and an election-time nonpartisan caretaker government since December last year.

But the movement seems to have lost momentum in recent months and the party aims to reinvigorate it.

According to party sources, the BNP intends to beef up its movement with back-to-back programmes which will intensify as the parliamentary election approaches. But this time the party is being very careful and strategic about its next course of action.

Initially, the party plans to hold marches, rallies and human chains. If the peaceful attempts fail to bear fruit, only then the party will go for stricter programmes such as road marches, long marches, sit-ins and sieges, sources told The Business Standard (TBS). 

The party's strategy, however, is to maintain a peaceful position in all the programmes, without giving in to any provocation by the ruling party.

When asked, BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told TBS, "We are continuing the movement to realise our 10-point demands. We will change the nature of the programmes depending on the situation."

BNP leaders and activists are now holding meetings to carefully sketch out the kind of programme they will undertake to achieve its political goals.

Many in the party have suggested strike and blockade programmes while others proposed laying siege to important government institutions such as the secretariat, prime minister's office and Bangabhaban, sources said.

Selima Rahman, another member of the party's standing committee, said the 10-point demand movement has reached its final stage. From now on, the movement will be more intense, subject to the government's behaviour.

"We are uniting the country's people so that this government can no longer cling to power illegally. We will bring this government down through mass movement," said Abdus Salam Azad, organising secretary of the BNP. 

The BNP started its anti-government movement in July 2022 demanding the resignation of the government. It held 10 divisional rallies between September and December. Later it held countrywide silent road marches, facing police obstruction and attacks from ruling party leaders and activists.

The BNP claimed that 17 leaders and activists have so far been killed and many injured in clashes with police and ruling party activists in various districts of the country including the capital.

BNP intends to bring back expelled leaders 

According to party sources, discussions are underway to bring back the expelled leaders of the party as many of them are still participating in party programmes.

Former Cumilla mayor Monirul Haque Sakku, Khulna Metropolitan BNP's ex-president Nazrul Islam Manju, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's former advisor Advocate Taimur Alam Khandaker, and others have been participating in the party's programme for a long time despite being expelled.